Darwin Nunez’s decreased workrate after a frustrating miss during Liverpool’s tumultuous 2-2 draw against Aston Villa will be the subject of an important conversation between Arne Slot and Nunez.  The match prevented Liverpool from taking a commanding 10-point lead over Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.

 Even though Villa had chances to win the game late on, Nunez’s spectacular miss—where he missed an open goal following a clever set by Dominik Szoboszlai—was what really stood out.

After the game, Slot was obviously frustrated, which only became worse as Nunez’s performance started to deteriorate.  “I can accept every miss, especially from a player who has been crucial for us, scoring significant goals against Brentford and contributing in our home game against Villa,” Slot said before Liverpool’s next trip to Manchester.

Slot emphasized the value of keeping up a strong work ethic, especially following defeats, and highlighted colleague Wataru Endo’s mentality.  “Endo is dependable and consistent, always available when needed.  It’s difficult, and not many people have that mindset.  I thus want to talk to Nunez about not just his lost chance but also the 20 minutes that followed, during which we were unable to depend on him as our usual diligent striker.

When asked if he would underline Nunez’s crucial role for the remainder of the season, Slot confirmed, “Yes, I will communicate that to him.  The main takeaway, though, is that you can lose out on an opportunity, but you can’t afford to let your work rate suffer.  In the life of a striker, that is more important.  He is aware of this; he has enough experience to know that it’s part of the job to miss opportunities.  However, it is undesirable to slow down in terms of work rate, and that will be handled.

Nunez took to X after the event to declare his resolve: “Three weeks ago, I wasn’t at my best, and now, I’m not at my worst.  I get back up after falling.  I’ll never give up, you know.  Until my last day at Liverpool, I will give it my all.  Adaptability!”

 Slot talked to the media again barely 12 hours after the Villa clash, delivering updates on team fitness.  Cody Gakpo may return after missing the game due to injury, but right-back Conor Bradley is expected to miss the City match after hobbling off against Villa.  “We should check on Gakpo.  He hasn’t yet practiced with the squad, so it’s questionable, but I’m optimistic.  In regards to his involvement, it will be a close call.”

Regarding Bradley, Slot questioned whether he would play in the forthcoming games, stating that it was very improbable.  Joe Gomez also had hamstring surgery and is anticipated to be sidelined for a long time, possibly returning only before the season ends.